Control apparatus for valves



Dec. 26, 1933.

L. L. COLLINS CONTROL APPARATUS FOR VALVES Filed Feb. 25, 1931 INVENTOR. Zesfer L. Ca/fins BY v /ba. f. ATTORNEY.

1 Claim.

This invention relates to mechanism for pumping and compressing gaseous fluids. More particularly it concerns control apparatus for the valves of such mechanism whereby partial or total unloadingof the same may be conveniently- One object of the invention is to assemble the control apparatus with the valve cover for ap: plication and removal as a unit with the latter.

1 m Another object is to reduce the head room for the necessary springs and to dispose the unload-' ing apparatus within the pump or compressor cylinder. Another object is to provide a structural arrangement which will permit the use of various agencies for actuating the valve lifter. Still other objects will be apparent from the detailed description which follows.

The invention involves the mounting of all control mechanism for the valve directly upon the cover which seals the opening through which the valve assembly is inserted into or removed from its recess in the pump or compressor cylv erative position, suitable means are provided withinder; The mounting arrangement is such that various devices may be used to actuate the valve 25.lifter, as for example diaphragm, bellows, or

' piston.

In order to illustrate the invention one concrete embodiment thereof is, shown in the accompanying drawing, in-which the single View 3m discloses the control apparatus in vertical section and indicates in broken outline the manner in which the apparatus is mounted in a com-v pressor cylinder and its relation to a valve as-' sembly.

In the embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration, the inner'and outer walls a, b of a compressor cylinder A are indicated, the inner wall having a stepped opening 0 therethrough in which an inlet valve assembly 4043 of conventional plate type is mounted'and retained in placeby the usual holding members d. To give accessto valve chamber e for the insertion and removal of valve assembly B, the opening is provided in outer cylinder wall a. Since ithe elements heretofore mentioned are Wholly conventional, they are indicated in the drawing in broken outline merely for the purpose of show-' ing the general combination and arrangement, and further description thereof is accordingly fillijomitted.

The control apparatus by which the plate valves of valve assembly B are held open, as when the compressor cylinder is partially or entirely; un-' loaded, is mounted entirely upon the cover plate 555.1 which seals opening I in the outer wall of comg .I-"- CO ROL A'PBARA'DUS matio'; ool Company, New". Yon

" i itlintiasosaims; 1931 wsoriarivoesisuoi .7 (ol-wlaf lsgy ,maintainedvin spaced relation to pin 13 extending through a transverse bore in pressor cylinder A. Plate'l may be secured to the cylinder in any suitable manner as by conventional stud bolts 2 and has secured to its under side by stud bolts 3 so as tobe supported within valve chamber e a cylindrical'member or housing 4. Over the lower open end of cylinder 4 is secured as by stud bolts 5 a perforated closure 6. A valve lifter 7, provided with fingers 7a for en- 7 gaging the valves of valve'a'ssembly B, is movably r mounted on closure 6, the lifter having an extension or boss 7b projecting through the perforation or bore 6a in the closure. A rod 8 secured in bore '70 in lifter extension 7b by a pin 9 telescopingly receives at its upper end a cap member 10. Lifter. 7 is held in its retracted position by a coil spring 11 which encircles extension 711 and rod 8 and engages with its lower end closure Sand with its upper end an abutment washer 12 which is cap 10 by stop rod 8.

In order to move valve lifter 7 outwardly to opthe lifter 7 and the resilient means for retracting thesame. By preference the upper end of bellows member 14 is welded, brazed, or otherwise securedin a fluid tight manner as a t'14a to cap 10 and its lower end extends radially to form an annular flangel'lb which is clamped in a fluid tight manner between closure 6 and cylindrical member 4. Thus they pressure fluid admitted through port la in cover 1 isconfined in the space provided between bellows 14 and cap 10 on the one hand and the inner walls of cylindrical member 4 and cover 1 on the other so that it is efiective upon cap 10 to overcome the resistance of spring 11 and to force lifter 7 downwardly to operative position. The admission of motive fluid to port 1a and the venting of the same therefrom may be controlled manually or by an automatically actuated regulator (not shown).

From the above it will be apparent that the tus for an inlet valve, that the operative parts thereof 'are'adequately protected by being housed within the valvechamber of the cylinder, that 119 the apparatus is conveniently and easily inserted and removed by simply putting on or removing the cover to the valve chamber, that no parts of the control apparatus extend beyond or form projections above the compressor cylinder, and that the cylindrical member 4 which is secured to the end face of the cover permits the choice of agencies to be subjected to the pressure fluid for controlling the valve, such as a piston or diaphragm, in place of a bellows construction illustrated herein.

While the invention has been herein disclosed in what is now considered to be a preferred form, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details thereof but covers all changes, modifications, and adaptations within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A combined closure and contrjolunit comprising a cover plate for a valve chamber, a cylindripressure means including a bellows encircling said spring and secured to said cap member on the one hand'and under said closure on the other for aoting upon said cap member to force said lifter to extended position against the resistance of said spring, said lifter portion extending loosely through said perforation in said closure to permit tilting of said lifter. V f

LESTER L. COLLINS. 

